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How to slash the cost of moving house

They say it’s one of the most stressful events in your life and for most of us, it will most certainly happen more than once. In truth, moving house is never going to be easy, but something else that enters the equation is the fact that it generally costs much, much more than any of us first realise.

At first, we’re completely focussed on bartering ‘x’ thousand from the first asking price. Then, all of the other “hidden” costs start to enter the equation. We’re talking about the likes of solicitor fees, the fee payable to the estate agent and, as the title may have given away, the cost of physically moving your things to your new home.

Following on from this, let’s take a look at some of the savviest methods you can utilize to save the maximum amount whilst moving.

Never pay for boxes

Nowadays, there are umpteen stores trying to sell premium boxes designed to help you move house more easily. While these boxes are of good quality, and most certainly won’t have holes in the bottom, there’s no doubt that this is an expensive route to follow.

Instead, it’s so easy to obtain cardboard boxes from the likes of supermarkets who are just desperate to get rid of them and will provide you them free of charge. Depending on the scale of your move, this can save terrific sums of money.

Be savvy about where you dispose of your junk

One of the best things about moving house is that in some ways, it allows you to start again. All of those unwanted gifts that you have accumulated, as well as all of the other junk, can finally be cast aside and you can start life in your new place without them.

Of course, disposing of them is easier said than done. Depending on the item in question, there might be specific rules and regulations related to their disposal. This is why so many are now hot in demand; as they are able to do all of the leg work for you. If you do have quite a lot of items that might be challenging to dispose of, at least consider a service like this.

Your meal plans can make a difference as well

This one might raise a few eyebrows, but if you have a freezer-full of food you’ll probably know what we’re talking about. When the time comes to unplug the appliance and pack it away, you run the risk of losing a lot of food. If you can plan your meals accordingly, you can use the optimum amount of food and not have to bother about additional “cold” transport costs.

Do you need the professional service?

A lot of people will find a professional removal service, and rightly so. However, in some cases, this really might be an unnecessary cost. If you can source a vehicle (and rents for these tend to be pretty low these days), and a few pairs of hands, you can be well on your way to saving significant sums. Sure, it will be hard work, but in the interests of staying in the black it can be completely worthwhile.